The invention relates to a brake disc chamber for a motor vehicle having an essentially cylindrical brake disc chamber jacket without openings.
Composite brake discs are known, which have friction rings made of gray cast iron, connected with a brake disc chamber made of light metal. German Patent document DE 100 32 972 B4 describes a brake disc constructed in such a fashion, where the friction ring and the chamber are joined by separate elements, such as pins, screws, etc. In this case, the brake disc chamber has a floor, i.e. the chamber disc, a surrounding wall, i.e. the chamber jacket, and an edge, i.e. the chamber edge. The brake disc chamber is made of a high-strength steel material. The friction ring is fastened to the chamber edge by way of fastening devices, such as screws and/or rivets.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a brake disc chamber, mainly for a motor vehicle, which has a low weight and can nevertheless be highly stressed, mainly with respect to torsion.
According to the invention, this and other objects are achieved by a brake disc chamber having an essentially cylindrical brake disc chamber jacket without openings, wherein the brake disc chamber jacket includes segments in the shape of bent symmetrical trapezoids, which are aligned in the circumferential direction, are alternately rotated by 180°, and are arranged regularly with an alternately differing radial distance from a longitudinal center axis of the brake disc chamber jacket. This has the advantage that, constructively, a particularly light brake disc chamber can be designed, while the course of the tension under a load in the profile of the brake disc chamber jacket is simultaneously advantageous as a result of the use of these thrust areas in a trapezoidal shape.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized in that, on the brake disc chamber edge, short sides of the symmetrical trapezoids are, in each case, situated at fastening devices for a fastening ring for fastening a friction ring. These symmetrical trapezoids have a shorter radial distance from the longitudinal center axis of the brake disc chamber jacket. At the brake disc chamber edge, the long sides of the symmetrical trapezoids are, in each case, situated at recesses in the brake disc chamber edge for the fastening extensions of the friction ring. These symmetrical trapezoids have a greater radial distance from the longitudinal center axis of the brake disc chamber jacket.
As a result, a particularly light brake disc chamber can be constructed with a simultaneously advantageous diffusion of stress in the profile of the brake disc chamber jacket by using these thrust areas.
Furthermore, the brake disc chamber jacket can be reinforced by a chamber disc extending in the radial direction, particularly at the end of the brake disc chamber jacket that is farther away from the friction ring, which also contributes to increasing the strength of the brake disc chamber.
When the brake disc chamber is optimized because of its constructive setup with respect to its strength properties, the brake disc chamber jacket and/or the chamber disc can also consist of a light-metal alloy, which results in a considerable weight savings. When both are advantageously cast together in one operation, the manufacturing of the brake disc chamber will be very inexpensive. The weight is thereby enormously reduced in comparison to the use of gray cast iron or steel materials.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.